


Their Simple Story: Soft Flames

by Patrycja444d



Series: Their Simple Story [2]
Category: Johnny's Entertainment, KAT-TUN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Fluff, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-14
Updated: 2016-06-13
Packaged: 2018-07-14 22:55:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,923
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7194251
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Patrycja444d/pseuds/Patrycja444d
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>[SECOND] "From the day he found himself longing for Clear Sky to the day they found their Eternal Land..." - A young man that got hurt in his past meets a carefree guy who wishes to open the younger's heart and find a place in it. Slowly they relationship changes, letting the hurt man to finally move on and face his deepest fears.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. IX. Truth

** Second: Soft Flames **

**IX. Truth**

  
  
A month has passed.  
  
Kazuya sits on the sill.  
  
The night is colder.  
  
Colder than the last time he was sitting here.  
  
Kame’s frustrated; restless.  
  
For last week he couldn’t sleep at night.  
  
Why?  
  
He knows.  
  
But even thinking about it is confusing.  
  
He can’t understand himself; not anymore.  
  
From the day he became Jin’s friend, they’ve been meeting a lot.  
  
It was awkward; it still is, actually. It was also weird to have someone near again.  
  
Of course, Kame has Koki but it’s not the same; he knows Koki for a very long time.  
  
At first meeting Jin was like meeting a stranger.  
  
They mostly talked about random things sitting in cozy cafes; it was normal.  
  
But slowly things started to change. Soon Jin was inviting Kame on Saturday soccer matches or on short motorbike trips with him and Koki. And it would be perfectly normal if not for Kame’s heart…  
  
Jin smiled a lot; from the first day.  
  
Kame likes his smile, it’s encouraging.  
  
But it also confuses Kazuya’s heart and he can’t help but panic.  
  
It’s getting crazier; more intense, scary.  
  
Kame grabs his phone and chooses a number but hesitates; he bites his lower lip.  
  
But he presses the button anyway; he wants to talk.  
  
He _needs_ to talk.  
  
It takes five short signals that seem to take eternity before Kame hears a voice; so familiar yet different.  
  
“Yes?”  
  
“Hi…” he responds quite terrified of the conversation.  
  
“Kazuya?” he hears shuffling on the other side.  
  
“Yeah, sorry for disturbing you. I hope I haven’t interrupted anything important?” he asks worriedly, knowing how short-tempered is the person he called.  
  
“I’m at home, you know I’m working in the evenings, though could you not call me at freaking 8 in the morning next time, please?” he hears an annoyed voice.  
  
“Sorry…” he replies softly and a few seconds later he hears a sigh followed by now calmer words.  
  
“...Okay, spill the beans, Kazuya. You wouldn’t call if it’s not important.”  
  
“I’m sorry, I just… I panicked. Things are getting complicated and I…” he lowers his head and ruffles hair in frustration; he’s lost.  
  
“You saw her again, right?”  
  
“...Yeah…” he sighs. “Do you think i’m getting crazy?”  
  
“No.” The reply is short, confident; like always. “Why did she appear?” Kazuya contemplates how he should answer but there’s no point in hiding anything.  
  
“I’ve met a man.” He hears a hum and continues. “We’ve met and I told him about who I am.”  
  
“You mean you told him that you’re gay?” the voice asks in slight disbelief but not completely surprised.  
  
“Yes.” Kazuya’s cheeks go slightly pink.  
  
“Why?” It’s a short question but the answer is complicated.  
  
“... I’m not quite sure myself. That man… He’s just… different. He’s easy going. He’s simple-minded. He’s childish. He’s kind. He smiles a lot… He’s also unpredictable. When I told him about my orientation, I was sure that he’s shocked and can’t believe he’s meeting a person with my preferences but… I was wrong. He told me that he was actually impressed, that he’s never met a person who so bluntly told the truth.”  
  
“...Well, I would be shocked by your straightforwardness too. Especially since I know you. You would never do it. What triggered you? Because I can’t really imagine you in such situation.”  
  
“That’s one of the parts that are scaring me the most. It’s that man.” he doesn’t need to see, to know the person on the other side is raising an eyebrow. “He has something in him. Some weird vibes... I don’t really know…He just… his presence encouraged me. It was like… like I lost my mind for a while there and bam! The words came out automatically. I realized what I had said a few seconds later.”  
  
There is a short pause and Kazuya can’t hear a single sound.  
  
“Okay.” He hears and knows he’s not taken lightly; that’s good. “What did she tell you?”  
  
“That I should let go of the Past and concentrate on the Present, that I should give that man a chance when he comes to me.”  
  
“Hm…”  
  
“She also mentioned about the Clear Sky.”  
  
“Really?”  
  
“Yes.”  
  
“Then… What’s the problem?”  
  
“What?” Kame can’t hide his surprise but there’s another sigh.  
  
“You’re not stupid but sometimes you’re exaggerating your problems way too much.” Kazuya opens his mouth to protest but is cut by the other person. “Listen, you gave him a chance, right? It was good, I assume so what’s exactly bothering you? She’s always right and that’s why I don’t know what your idiotic head came up with this time.”  
  
“Huh… Look, everything was fine but I… I…” he gulps heavily, the words don’t want to come out. Thankfully he doesn’t need to speak.  
  
“You like him more than you should. It’s kind of obvious. Once again, what’s the problem?” the bored tone annoys Kame.  
  
“What’s wrong?! Wrong is liking him! He’s straight and he considers me as his friend. _Only_ as his friend. I shouldn’t be thinking about him that way. Also I’m not sure if I _really_ like him, maybe it’s just admiration or something?” Kazuya gets even more frustrated  
  
“Nope, you like him. She knows it too. Clear Sky, remember?”  
  
“What do you mean?”  
  
“Geez… You forgot after all. Clear Sky means the beginning.”  
  
“Yeah, I know, she told us that when we were teenagers.”  
  
“Then do you remember of what kind of beginning it is?”  
  
Kame freezes at that. There was something about the beginning of the way towards something important but no matter how he tries, he can’t say where that way leads to.  
  
He hears a slightly muted chuckle.  
  
“Don’t laugh at me! It’s been a while and she liked to tell us a lot.”  
  
“I know but I can’t believe you followed her advice without really knowing what she told you.” It wasn’t hard for Kazuya to guess the person is smirking.  
  
“Hey, it’s not my fault. I didn’t have time to even think properly, Jin was already at my door!”  
  
Now there was no doubt, the person was laughing at Kame’s expense.  
  
“So he’s name is Jin, huh…” Kame blushed even more than before.” Kazuya… Do you want to know what my sister really meant?”  
  
“...Yes?” he isn’t so sure.  
  
“Listen, Clear Sky is the beginning of the way to Eternal Land. You know my sister had her own way of calling things. In her dictionary Eternal Land means love, mister. She wanted you to fall in love with _Jin_.” Kame’s speechless. “And I’m not really that surprised. You need to find someone finally and that guy is probably the best candidate, gay or not.”  
  
“How can you know that?”  
  
“I know because he’s your total opposite. If there’s someone who can make you stop thinking about tragedies and such, then it must be someone like him. Besides, you told me yourself, he makes you brainless.”  
  
“Isn’t that actually a bad thing?”  
  
“I’d say it that way… having sex and thinking about shopping for groceries or about feeding a dog is rather impossible… If you do that then your sex sucks and you should kick the guy out. In other words, in bed being brainless is good. And when it comes to you, not thinking in bed is like a sign for fan-fucking-tastic sex. Heck, for you being brainless when there’s someone who cares for you is like a total miracle. That only means that you finally started to trust someone else than yourself. If you chicken out now, I’m taking first fly to Tokyo to kick your damn, insecure ass, get it?”  
  
Kame’s eyes are wide and mouth hangs open. When the words finally register in his brain, he gets red; he’s happy it’s only a phone call, he would kill himself if someone heard it all.  
  
The threat at the end. Other people would take it as a joke but Kazuya knows that the person on the other line wouldn’t hesitate in leaving New York only to beat him to a pulp.  
  
Kame nods eagerly, unconsciously before replying.  
  
“Yeah, I understand.”  
  
“Good. She’s happy too, hearing that. Otherwise she would appear again to brainwash you even more, like years ago.” Another smirk and Kazuya rolls his eyes with a smile; good memories.  
  
“You were always the first one to insult and kick people when she preferred to play with their minds.”  
  
“Well, we still do that with yours. And she does it with mine too. It’s funny how she can confuse and lecture people even after her death.”  
  
Kame can’t help but laugh.  
  
“You’re right.”  
  
“When I’m not?”  
  
“Should I remind you?” It’s the time for Kame to smirk.  
  
“...Maybe better not.”  
  
They laugh together and then comes silence; comfortable one.  
  
Kazuya’s calmer, more relaxed.  
  
He can’t help but smile.  
  
It’s amazing how two completely different people, even though blood related, can show him the right path.  
  
He’s grateful for it.  
  
“Yue…”  
  
“Hm?”  
  
“Thank you.” he smiles slightly.  
  
“Thank Yui, she was always saying weird stuff that actually make sense in the end. Heck, I still can’t understand her way of thinking and she’s my twin!”  
  
“Well, you’re the opposites. Opposites complement each other.”  
  
There’s a snort on the other side.  
  
“And it says a guy that wonders why he likes the guy totally different from himself.”  
  
“Okay, okay, I get it now.”  
  
“Good, at least Yui will stop hunting me for not contacting you.”  
  
“It’s weird.”  
  
“What’s weird? Me not contacting you?”  
  
“No, I meant that it’s weird that even though we were never friends, Yui wants us to ‘stay within reach’, if you know what I mean.”  
  
“Yeah, she was sure we would be great friends if we learn more about each other.”  
  
Kame thinks for a second.  
  
“Do you think she might be right?”  
  
“...Maybe,” she answers thoughtfully. “You were her best friend and I was her sister, there always was some kind of connection between the two of us… I don’t know if we are friends though. We rarely talk and the last time I saw you was years ago, a few months after Yui’s funeral.”  
  
“That’s true but… we know more about each other’s secrets than our real best friends.”  
  
“Yeah… It’s complicated, I guess…” she said in serious tone. “Anyway, we can come back to that topic some other time. Yui wants you to go forward and sweep Jin of his feet, better be a good best friend and follow her words. First say it out loud ‘I like Jin more than a simple friend’.”  
  
“Yue!” his embarrassment slowly grows.  
  
“Come on, Kazuya. Repeat after me, or after Yui who says the same, ‘I like Jin more than a friend’.”  
  
“...I like Jin more than a friend…” he says quietly.  
  
“Louder, Turtle-chan, Yui says she doesn’t hear you~” Yue teases him.  
  
“I like Jin more than a friend...”  
  
“Louder, Kazuya, louder. Yui’s rather far away, you know? She might mishear you.”  
  
“I like Jin more than a friend.” he says a little more confidently but at the same time he gets more annoyed.  
  
“Louder! What are you? A small shy girl with pigtails?”  
  
“I like Jin more than a friend!”  
  
“No good. Can you finally show at least a little respect for Yui? She came especially for you and you what? Get a grip, Kazuya! Shout it!”  
  
“I LIKE JIN MORE THAN A FRIEND! Are you happy now?!” he screams without thinking, irked by Yue’s words.  
  
“Yup, now Yui’s happy and beaming that you told the truth. Just don’t forget your own words and don’t try to deny anymore,” she says and Kame can tell she’s smiling widely. “I have to go, I’m hungry and you should go to sleep. Now follow your heart, like Yui would say. If you won’t, my twin will tell me and nothing will save you from me.”  
  
“I know. Bye, Yue.” he says still slightly annoyed.  
  
“Bye, Kazuya.” she hangs up amused.  
  
There’s silence again and Kazuya doesn’t move from his spot on the sill.  
  
He sits frozen on his spot when he starts to feel warmness on his cheeks.  
  
Slowly it sinks in.  
  
He just screamed on top of his lungs that he likes Jin.  
  
And it's the truth!  
  
Kame’s not sure if he’s more embarrassed by the words or by the way he let himself get provoked by his best friends twin sister.  
  
But the confusion went away.  
  
His mind is at peace and he’s thankful for it.  
  
But he also feels how exhausted he is.  
  
He would like to think about what to do from now on but Yue’s right.  
  
He needs to rest.  
  
So he stands up from the sill and lays on the bed.  
  
He wants to sleep; lose himself in sweet oblivion.  
  
Just for a while...


	2. X. Pain

** Second: Soft Flames **

**X. Pain**

  
It’s painful.  
  
Being next to Akanishi Jin is painful.  
  
Before the dream, before the phone call, Kazuya was rather clueless about his feelings but now, he knows it all.  
  
At first he was okay with meeting Jin almost every day but Kame feels that the more time he spends with the man, the more he falls for him. And the more he falls, the more painful it becomes.  
  
Jin treats him like a friend, a really good friend.  
  
But Kame wants more.  
  
And that’s even more unbearable.  
  
He doesn’t want to scare Jin away; the man started to be very important to him but just by being near to…  
  
It’s hard...  
  
But also enjoyable.  
  
  
*  
  
  
Kazuya waits for Jin in front of the theater; they’re suppose to go see a movie.  
  
It’s been a long time since Kazuya hang out like that with someone; it’s like a date and he can feel his cheeks getting redder.  
  
He prays Jin won’t notice but even if he did, it’s cold outside so the redness would be justified. Nevertheless, he’s nervous.  
  
He occupies his mind with a text message he got from Koki a few hours earlier.  
  
When Jin made a suggestion to go to the cinema, Kame agreed. He didn’t expected, though, that the older would ask him to choose a movie.  
  
At first Kazuya searched for currently airing movies on the Internet but the more he searched, the more confused and lost he became; he wanted to find a movie that Jin would like to watch but had no idea what the older man’s taste is.  
  
In despair he decided to ask Koki.  
  
The reply he got was a little surprising but Kame didn’t mind; he wasn’t fan of horror movies but he didn’t mind watching one from time to time.  
  
A few minutes later Jin arrives.  
  
The man greets Kazuya quite loudly, bringing attention of the passerbies. The younger man is a little embarrassed but gives the man a small smile and a nod.  
  
“Hi, Kame! I hope I didn’t make you wait for long?”  
  
“No, it’s okay. I just got here,” Kazuya answers. “Can we go inside?”  
  
Jin sees Kame fidgeting slightly and realizes how cold is outside; though the man shivers more from nervousness than chilly weather.  
  
They walk into the building.  
  
They are happy to see the queue to a box office is shorter than they expected it to be.  
  
“Kame? Maybe I will buy tickets while you buy us some popcorn and drinks?”  
  
“Sure.”  
  
“Cool! So which movie did you choose?” Jin asks quickly before Kame turns around to go wait in the queue at the bar.  
  
“Oh, right. The movie is called...” Kazuya answers while looking for his wallet; he can’t see Jin’s face suddenly getting pale.  
  
The older gulps heavily but doesn’t say anything. He wants Kazuya to be happy and if it means he has to go see a movie in which a half-decayed hand suddenly grabs people by their shoulders and tries to brutally kill them, he’s ready to do it.  
  
Kazuya comes back to him a minute later with two packs of popcorn and two drinks. Jin smiles awkwardly and leads the younger man towards their seats in a slightly darkened room.  
  
Jin fidgets uncomfortably when the lights are turned off completely. He takes a deep breath and prepares for what’s coming while Kame obliviously eats the salty snack.  
  
  
*  
  
  
Kame snickers quietly, turning his head away from Jin’s vision; nevertheless, Jin hears him. The older man raises his head and glares at the younger.  
  
Kazuya gives a small apologetic smile and sits down next to the pale man.  
  
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know you’re scared of…”  
  
“I’m not scared! I just…” Jin trails off and averts his eyes; Kame starts to feel bad about it and the older man can see it. “I didn’t want to disappoint you. I mean… I wanted _you_ to enjoy the movie you like. I thought I will be able to to handle it but instead I made you walk out half through it. Sorry.” The man smiles sadly, obviously upset with himself and lowers his head in embarrassment..  
  
“Akanishi-kun?” Kazuya really feels awful about the whole situation; he prefers cheerful Jin. “Actually… I don’t really like horrors that much.” Jin raises his head and looks at the younger in surprise.  
  
“You don’t?” Kazuya shakes his head before bowing down; Jin’s eyes widen at the sudden move.  
  
“I’m sorry! I don’t really watch movies that much and I wanted to watch something we would both be able to enjoy. I didn’t know what to choose so I asked Koki what kind of movies do you like. But it looks like he made a prank on us. I’m really, terribly sorry!” Kazuya bows again, now sad more than amused by what happened in a theater.  
  
“Kame…” Jin is shocked by the man and quickly makes him straighten up; he feels uncomfortable seeing the younger in such distress. “Kame, that’s okay. It’s not your fault.” Jin says in comfort.  
  
“But I’m sorry anyway. I should ask you before if it’s okay with you to watch a horror.” Kazuya looks away but snaps his head towards the older man with wide eyes when Akanishi puts his hands on Kame’s shoulders.  
  
“It’s not your fault,” the man says strongly, completely oblivious to how Kame tenses up under his fingers. “Koki’s always like that and you shouldn’t feel sorry at all. If you asked me if I want to watch a horror I would say ’yes’ anyway. I left choosing a movie to you, Kame, so _you_ had a good evening. I would agreed to anything, even to a lousy chick-flick, if I knew it would make you happy.” Jin puts his hands down and Kame stands there motionless.  
  
Finally, everything sinks in and Kazuya abruptly turns around and covers his face with his palms. Jin’s looks baffled for a second before he walks around to face Kame again.  
  
“Kame, everything’s okay?” he asks and tries to peek through the youngers’ fingers.  
  
Kazuya just nods slightly but still stays hidden behind his palms.  
  
Jin furrows his eyebrows in worry and lowers his body a little to see Kame’s face fully. He moves his head trying to see the younger’s eyes but the smaller man avoids his gaze. Finally, Jin grabs Kame’s hands and pulls them down.  
  
The older man freezes.  
  
He stares at Kame’s face with big eyes, not uttering a single word.  
  
Suddenly, he smirks and pokes the younger man’s cheek with his finger.  
  
“You’re blushing~,” he sing-songs; Kame swats his hand away and turns around again.  
  
“Stop it,” he says meekly, still embarrassed.  
  
“Aw~, you’re sooo cute~!” Jin says and does everything to be able to see the smaller man’s face.  
  
Kazuya blushes even more at Jin’s words and tries to hide his face from the other man. Jin beams excitedly. He’s not only having fun with ‘chasing’ the younger but also finds him really endearing. Kame is shy, quiet and rather serious; seeing him with such lovably expression is something Akanishi didn’t expect. He’s nicely surprised and can’t help himself; he needs to make Kame blush more often.  
  
After a few minutes Kazuya is completely red and Jin has a huge urge to just hug the man.  
  
“Seriously, stop it!” Kame says as firmly as his embarrassed state lets him; Jin giggles. “Stop it or I will tell Koki how you were screaming during the movie. And it will be a _very detailed_ report.”  
  
“Okay, fine, fine. I will stop… for now,” Jin adds quietly at the end so Kame wouldn’t hear him and chuckles seeing how the younger tries to hide his face under a thick scarf and a beanie.  
  
They are walking next to each other in a comfortable silence. Jin snickering from time to time so Kame slaps him lightly in the arm.  
  
Kazuya sneezes when a single snowflake lands on his nose and looks up at the sky. Akanishi follows his actions and they are both surprised with the change of weather.  
  
“That’s unexpected.” Jin says.  
  
“Just a little, the spring hasn’t come fully yet.”  
  
“Mmm…” Jin hums in agreement. “We should hurry before it becomes worse.”  
  
Kame agrees and even though he wishes to spend just a little more time with the other man, he fastens his steps.  
  
A few minutes later they stand in front of Kame’s apartment. Kazuya fidgets not knowing what to do in such situation. If it was a date, he would probably be kissed by Jin but they are _only_ friends; nothing less, nothing more.  
  
“Well,” Jin breaks the silence and Kazuya looks up at him; the man smiles at him widely. “I got you home safely so Koki won’t go after my head.” He chuckles and Kame smiles slightly, amused.  
  
“Yeah, Koki wouldn’t like if I got mobbed in the middle of the street,” Kame tries to joke and he’s successful when he sees the other man’s smile widening.  
  
“Yeah, that would be awful. My head would be his greatest trophy and make a perfect warning sign: ‘A Guy Who Let My Best Friend Get Mobbed - Remember To Always Take Him Home SAFELY’.” Kame chuckles.  
  
“It’s too long but nice try.”  
  
“Maybe but he would totally write something like that. You’re so cute that it’s no wonder that Koki’s so protective.” Jin grins at the younger; he just scored another blush. He takes a step back when Kame tries to swat at him again. “I will be going. The weather's not the best and it seems it might get worse. See you later, Kame!” Jin waves to the younger.  
  
Kazuya waves back until the man disappears from his sight.  
  
Kame closes the door and stays still with his hand clutching the handle.  
  
He sighs and leans his forehead on the door, closing his eyes. When he opens them again, there’s sadness and confusion but also something similar to hope.  
  
Frustrated, the man opens the window and takes a deep breath. He observes the falling snow before he turns around and walks towards his bed. On the way he discards his warm coat.  
  
Unintentionally, Kazuya looks into the mirror standing next to his wardrobe.  
  
What he sees is something he doesn’t want to see. His face shows emotions he doesn’t want to have; feelings he wanted to bury deep inside his heart, feelings that in recent years became painful for him.  
  
With a heavy sigh, he lays on the bed and closes his eyes, thinking.  
  
Slowly, Kazuya turns onto his side and before he knows it, Kame falls asleep.  
  
The white snowflakes falling on the window sill, inside his apartment...


End file.
